This distance is a battlefield
by anie1223
Summary: The years 2020, Caroline fled mystic falls years ago, but why? Klaus is in new orleans ruling new orleans side by side with marcel, hayley had a miscarriage and is being protected by elijah from klaus' wrath, but somethings coming for all of them, even the mystic falls gang that separated long ago ,who needs to be protected? and who's this force that's coming for them all?


**so hey guys, its been a while, this is a new story that's been dancing around in my head for awhile now, i hope you like it**

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New York City, 2020

The blond walked down the busy 47th street and headed in the direction of the towering skyscraper, generally she would have taken a cab but with the new years festivities coming up and all the tourist out and about it was best not to have to wrestle over getting in a cab, granted of course she was a vampire and she could compel them to just give it to her, she was never really a big fan of the whole mind control thing.

Compulsion just bought up memories and the people of mystic falls that she left behind years ago, she hadn't heard from any of them in years, and frankly she didn't care to hear from them ever again

A loud car horn pulled her out of her reverie and made her aware of her surroundings, she had reached her destination, a little book store called mystic , situated next to a small cafe and a park for children, it was a small green store with a bench out the front and lots of books in the windows for people to see as they went on with their daily life, with everything being technology these days, it gave off a personalised homey feeling, the kind you get when you would walk into a bakery or cafe and the sweet smell of freshly baked bread or cakes would hit you and you'd feel a pleasant wave of content fall over you.

The windows had different coloured fairy lights that matched the Christmas season, Caroline took pride in her little store, after she left mystic falls she hadn't the slightest idea as to what to do with her immortal existence, she travelled and travelled and while it was exciting at first she eventually grew tired of the empty hotel rooms and the idle chatter with strangers, she wanted more.

Her travels bought her to new York and as soon as she step out of JFK airport she knew she was hooked, the bright lights, the people and the excitement drew her in and never let her go, she got a small cosy one bedroom apartment, she was sick and tired of the modern ways already, the large sleek black apartment she saw seemed so detached and dark, and Caroline forbs does not do dark, she eventually found an apparent over a bookstore that was going out of business, with nothing else to do with her time she decided she buy the apartment and the book store, the seller explained that no one needed to buy any books anymore but as Caroline had an eternity to do whatever she wanted, she wanted to own a book store, she kept the employees that worked there also

Kendall a young man in his twenties was quite surprised when a young looking girl bought both the apartment and the book store but was thankful none the less, he had a passion for fiction and would often read to children when they came in with their parents, he had a way of understanding the character's emotions and desires that you could tell just shined through while he read to the young innocent child captivated by the fantasy worlds, he was by no means unattractive, he had short brown hair with chocolate brown eyes that you could just get lost in, he had unshaven stumble and a deep husky voice, to say he wasn't attractive would be out right dishonestly, she wasn't interested in him that way though, he was by far more like an older brother, getting to know him took some time as he had quite the wall up but eventually he cracked and let her get to know him, she found out he had a large loving family and a dog called Humphrey that he was heartbroken to leave behind in Boston when he moved down to New York to pursue his writing career, she learnt he fell madly in love with his high school girlfriend and when she left for college she broke his heart by saying they couldn't continue their relationship as she had to find herself

"And that's it she just left?!" Caroline exclaimed one night when they were closing up the shop and he told her the story

Kendall chucked dryly

"Yep she just left" his eyes roamed around the store before meeting hers and continuing

"I guess It never even occurred to me that we wouldn't make it, you know, and it never occurred to her that we would and that was the part that hurt the most, I was so sure she was the love of my life, but she didn't want to be ." He sighed wistfully

Silence fell over both of them before he broke it

"oh boy, but she sure missed out, I mean, look at what I got going for me, a small shabby dirty studio apartment where I can hear the greasy guy below me having sex every night while trying to drown it out with the sirens from the seedy neighbourhood I live in, I got to say I feel sorry for her" his eyes lit up with humour and genuine laughter filled the room causing the blonde to join in

"Oh I completely agree Mr. Brooklyn, that girl's a blind fool" she nudged his shoulder with her own

Thinking back to that memory, a small smile ghost her lips as she looked in and saw him through the window sorting through books in a reindeer sweater that his mother undoubtedly made him.

After becoming a vampire she thought she would only think of the big things but after travelling and ending up in new York, she seemed to only notice the little things, like Kendall's hideous sweater or the way the vines curled around the shop window around winter time, Caroline discovered her way of observing people, she found it quite peaceful to sit in coffee shop and observe the patrons, some were angry and late for work, other's needed a caffeine hit from staying up all night studying, she found the process somewhat therapeutic in a way, after being a vampire for even a couple of years it starts to sink in you how little time really means, but to humans time is everything as they only have a limited amount, even though she thoroughly enjoyed being strong and ageless she still couldn't shake the feeling that there was something missing, maybe it was a purpose.

So she filled her days with books and it was rewarding and she got to see a wide range of people come into her bookstore, from young children eager to read and look at the pictures, to old men and women who refuse to use technology claiming it controls you're brain and they continue to give examples by pointing through the window to where people are busy texting away.

"It's the government, I tell you" the elderly man grips her hand

"They're everywhere!" he declares

She likes to indulges them in their conspiracy theories and talks to them about their grandchildren and about how their children should call more, she likes to listen to them talk fondly about the old days where there was no computers.

And they like having someone to talk to.

"Caroline dear, you're such a lovely young girl, don't you have someone waiting for you at home" Mrs. Henderson, a loyal customer asked one day when the store stayed open late

"Can't say I do Mrs. Henderson" Caroline smiled at the older women while putting the books the woman just bought into a plastic bag

"You just haven't met the right one yet, sweetie, don't worry he'll come, see you next week" she promised as she walked out the door

Mrs Henderson came in every week since she discovered the store and would always be up for a chat, not that Caroline minded, but it was growing tiresome to talk about her no existent love life

To be bluntly honest since Tyler, Caroline hadn't truly been in a relationship but it wasn't exactly about Tyler per see it was more since the original blew into town and left as soon as he came, all the while promising to be her last love and at the same time he got the wolf girl pregnant and fled to new Orleans with his siblings or so she heard when Tyler came back from his power trip

She always thought she understood where she was when it came to Klaus, but when she was told about the pregnancy her reaction shocked even her, she felt utterly betrayed even though she rejected his every advance but she couldn't help but feel a wave of hurt come over her.

As she stood outside her shop, she decided to finally actually enter it and get out the icy weather.

As she entered the store the bells at the top of the rang signalling a new customer –herself- and she put her coat of the coat rack and was greeted warmly by Mary

Mary was the other employee at the store, she was an 67 year old women with greying hair and motherly smile to greet you every day, she's a widow who took up a job at the book store well before Caroline bought it, she wanted a job to pass time as she said she felt quite useless at home, her husband and her never had any children because Mary was infertile ruining chances' of them having children, they had thought of adoption, but ultimately decided against it, they had a happy marriage til George got terminal cancer and decided not to go through with chemotherapy instead choosing to live the rest of his days with his wife not in a hospital bed, after he died Mary took up reading which in turn led her to the book store where after being a customer for years asked to apply for a job helping around the store

And boy was Caroline glad she did get the job, Mary was very efficient helping with organising the books and she was always there with an open ear for Caroline; it reminded her of her own grandmother.

"Oh Mary, I found that book you were looking for the other day" Caroline pulled out a book from her bag and offered Mary a smile

"It's quite, good I read it last night when I couldn't sleep" she murmured while handing the book to Mary

"Oh thankyou Caroline, you know how much I love a romantic tragedy" the other woman mused while looking the book over

"I'll just go put this in the back" the older woman turned and headed for the back of the store leaving Caroline at the door

Caroline took a look around the cluttered book store and could smell the soothing scent of old pages

She smiled to herself and followed Mary to the back to put her bag down.

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**okay so this was just a caroline chapter and i'm working on the klaus chapter right now so, it should be up soon also the next few chapters will probably mostly focus on klaus in new orleans and the lead up to the plot line :-) i hope you like it **


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